Thomas Dollbaum spent his childhood looking up. Growing up in the boonies outside Tampa, his family lived near a private airport where Cessna planes would cross overhead, fueling a young Dollbaum’s dream of flight. While that ambition eventually faded—replaced by a newfound fear of flying—the perspective of looking toward the horizon remained. Today, that same sense of wonder and displacement defines his music, which he describes as a way of “capturing the time.”
The Geography of Memory
Dollbaum’s latest record, Birds of Paradise, serves as a testament to his unique ability to weave geography and memory into narrative folktales. Having moved from the flatwoods of Florida to the vibrant, complex culture of New Orleans, his songwriting has evolved into a form of historical fiction. He doesn’t just write about places; he builds worlds where every star belongs to someone he once knew. Songs like “King’s Landing” and “Pulverize” act as conduits for these memories, transforming personal anecdotes into universal stories of longing and growth.
His approach to songwriting is deeply influenced by his background in poetry. Having earned an MFA at the University of New Orleans, Dollbaum treats his lyrics with the same rigor as a poem. He views his work as non-precious, noting that if a line can be replaced to make the narrative stronger, it should be. This philosophy, heavily inspired by Richard Hugo’s The Triggering Town, allows him to use narrative threads as levers to keep his storytelling unpredictable and raw.
A Collaborative Spirit
The recording process for Birds of Paradise was a departure from his previous, more solitary efforts. Working at Matt Patton’s Dial Back Sound in Mississippi, Dollbaum assembled a band of “shredders,” including Jake Lenderman, Nick Corson, and Josh Halper. The result is a record that feels both spontaneous and lived-in. By recording live and keeping overdubs to a minimum, the band managed to capture a specific energy—a “noisy groove” that feels like a high school band finding its footing for the first time.
Despite the critical acclaim and the growing reach of his music, Dollbaum remains grounded. He still maintains a carpentry business in New Orleans, a profession that offers a tangible contrast to the abstract nature of songwriting. Whether he is building an A-frame or crafting a verse about the “water and snakes” of his youth, Dollbaum is constantly constructing something meant to last. As he puts it, the best he can do is make the listener feel like they are there, even if they have never stepped foot in the Florida flatwoods he calls home.
Birds of Paradise is out now on Dear Life.
